The 25 Most Affordable College Towns in 2018

By Julia Campbell | December 14, 2018

College is an exciting time full of new faces, newfound freedom, and new expenses. While it’s important to find a campus that gels with your personality, it’s no secret a city’s living cost—and a school’s tuition—can end up making your decision for you.

Between rent, utilities, and groceries, a weekly $4.50 trip to Starbucks can push your monthly student budget over the limit. Lucky for you, we got our hands dirty and dug up the twenty-five most affordable college towns to help you vet your options.

Get ahead of your Top Ramen days and see which states you could afford to live in (and which would allow your budget the occasional caramel macchiato).

Our ranking criteria

To get our rankings, we considered everything college students have to budget for, as well as things college students usually end up choosing to spend their spare change on.

From happy hour to rent, we figured out how much it would cost to live in each city by crunching the numbers of seven different factors:

City population

Median rent of a one-bedroom apartment in the city center

Average cost of utilities

Cost of transportation, calculated by the cost of a one-way local train fare and a gallon of gas

Price of a movie ticket

Minimum wage

Cost of a 0.5-liter bottle of domestic beer

Annual tuition

We included the price of tuition for the schools in each town based on a twelve-credit-hour workload, since the cost of your class schedule and textbooks can mean the difference between sharing a four-person bedroom and having one of your own.

#1. Helena, MT

People drop money to see places as beautiful as Helena, Montana, but living there means you’d always be in between Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park at a fraction of the price it’d cost to live elsewhere.

Between a monthly cost of utilities as shockingly low as $64.54 and a ton of free outdoor activities to keep you busy, you won’t have to compromise between scenic views and a decent pad.

Also, a one-way train ticket in Helena is only $0.85, which is the cheapest of all the towns on our list.

Population

Universities/colleges

#3. Augusta, ME

Picturesque, quaint, and affordable, Augusta is Maine’s capital for a reason—and there’s reason you should live there too.

Augusta’s rent is on the lower side and its utilities are decently priced, but it really gets a gold star for having the cheapest gas prices of all twenty-five cities. Plus, the city boasts two universities, so there are tons of local student discounts.

Population

18,494

Universities/colleges

University of Maine at Augusta

In-state tuition: $19,808

Out-of-state tuition: $29,498

Purdue University Global Augusta Campus

Tuition: $33,390

#4. Columbia, MO

Columbia offers the cheapest price for a movie ticket of all the cities listed, which is important since it’s more than likely you’ll find yourself catching a show or two at some point during your college years.

And with three colleges in the city totaling a population of over 120,000 people, your chances of finding someone to go to a movie with you is high.

Population

Universities/colleges

#5. Colorado Springs, CO

Near the Rocky Mountains—and the Garden of the Gods to boot—Colorado Springs is already a place worth considering, but its affordability makes it all the better.

Just an hour-and-fifteen-minute drive from Denver, Colorado Springs has a median rent of $975.08, which is considerably more affordable than Denver’s rent of $1,640.30. Plus, Colorado Springs’s movie tickets are two dollars lower than Denver’s, and its beer prices are lower than Denver’s price of $2.11 too.

Population

49,138

Universities/colleges

University of Charleston

Tuition: $43,800

#9. Jackson, MS

There’s a reason Bruno Mars called out Jackson, Mississippi, in his 2014 hit “Uptown Funk”—and it’s not just because it’s a city that’s got soul. In comparison to the rest of the cities on our list, Jackson’s median costs for rent and utilities are on the cheaper end of the spectrum, and all of its other factor expenses are pretty impressive, as well.

Population

30,756

Universities/college

Cornell University

Tuition: $70,291

Ithaca College

Tuition: $61,339

#12. Albuquerque, NM

For having a population of 559,277 people, Albuquerque with its median rent of $820 seems too good to be true—but we’re not complaining. Just be aware, though, like Tempe, Arizona, Albuquerque’s utility rates are slightly high.

Population

Universities/colleges

University of New Mexico

In-state tuition: $23,046

Out-of-state tuition: $38,058

Southwest University of Visual Arts (SUVA)

Tuition: $22,588

Trinity Southwest

Tuition: $3,180

#13. Burlington, VT

Burlington is home to the University of Vermont, which sits right on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain. This city has all the charm you’d expect from New England and the pep and progressivism typical of Vermont. And the good news is, it’s totally feasible to live here.

Compared to State College, Pennsylvania, home of Penn State University, Burlington’s $10.50 wage is $3.25 higher than State College’s wage of $7.25—yet they share roughly the same population and cost of living.

Population

42,269

Universities/colleges

University of Vermont

In-state tuition: $31,672

Out-of-state tuition: $55,288

Champlain College

Tuition: $54,001

#14. El Paso, TX

El Paso, Texas, has the highest population of all of our top twenty-five towns. At roughly 683,000 people, El Paso has twenty-one times the number of people as Helena, Montana, the list’s number-one most affordable college town to live in.

Even still, El Paso’s median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the city center is only $595.45, compared to New York City’s median rent of a one-bedroom apartment, which is $3,190.11.

If you live in El Paso, you won’t have to live paycheck to paycheck just to be in a big city.

#15. Portland, ME

And, with Portland’s $1.50 train tickets, you won’t have to splurge on getting from the city’s lighthouse to the city’s shop center, as you might with an Uber. Portland also gets an honorable mention for its higher-than-average minimum wage of $10.

Population

Universities/colleges

#16. Albany, NY

Albany already won over the heart of Jimmy Fallon, a graduate of Saint Rose, and with its place at number sixteen on our list, we can begin to see why.

For being in the same state as Manhattan—the concrete jungle with super high real estate prices—Albany still has pretty average prices for rent, and its monthly utilities won’t make you cringe when you check your statement either. It’s also worth noting Albany’s high minimum wage of $11.10.

Population

98,111

Universities/colleges

The College of Saint Rose

Tuition: $47,628

Excelsior College

Tuition: $12,240

Sage College of Albany

Tuition: $29,356

#17. Sioux Falls, SD

People are drawn to Sioux Falls for the cascading falls the city is named after, but its median rent should be the real jaw-dropper. In the low 600s, this city’s median rent and utilities are a steal if we’ve ever seen one.

Population

174,360

Universities/colleges

University of Sioux Falls

Tuition: $41,680

Augustana University

Tuition: $44,973

#18. Iowa City, IA

Iowa City’s monthly rent is pretty reasonable, but the real kicker is its monthly utilities, which average out to be as low as $100. The only reason this city didn’t pull higher is because of its minimum wage, which is the federally mandated rate of $7.25.

Also, the University of Iowa was the first public university to admit men and women on an equal basis1, which is pretty cool if you ask us.

Population

Universities/colleges

#20. Baton Rouge, LA

As Louisiana’s second-largest city, Baton Rouge has a lot going for it—including its affordability.

In comparison to New Orleans, Louisiana’s largest city, Baton Rouge, has a median rent almost $520 less than that of New Orleans. Plus, the cost of your average beer in Baton Rouge is nearly three times cheaper than one in New Orleans.

With Baton Rouge’s workable rent and beer prices, you won’t have to think twice about caving on a weekend beignet.

Population

124,707

Universities/colleges

Ohio University

In-state tuition: $28,256

Out-of-state tuition: $37,720

#22. Tallahassee, FL

In Tallahassee, Florida, you can buy a 0.5-liter of domestic beer at a grocery store for only a buck, while in Charleston, South Carolina, you’d have to pay $6.50 for the same drink. For a city that plays host to a university as big name as Florida State, this factoid isn’t a casual aside.

#23. Fargo, ND

Fargo is the most hopping city in North Dakota, and it makes sense why, with rent prices as low as $655.62. That, combined with North Dakota State’s low tuition, makes living in Fargo seem like a savvy financial move.

Population

$66,191

Universities/colleges

Iowa State University of Science and Technology

In-state tuition: $20,606

Out-of-state tuition: $33,442

#25. Little Rock, AR

As the capital of Arkansas, this riverfront city is delightful enough to warrant a double-take. Little Rock has some of the lowest gas prices on our list, and we’re not mad about its $1.40 train fare either.

Plus, with tuition as reasonable as $36,000, we can see why nearly 200,000 people have chosen to call Little Rock home.

The ten college towns with the most expensive rent

We also calculated the ten US states that have the highest median rents so you can compare the difference. Read below to see the sky-high median rent of each city:

New York City, NY: $3,190.11

Boston, MA: $2,446.76

Jersey City, NJ: $2,438.34

Oakland, CA: $2,289.93

Cambridge, MA: $2,242.20

Los Angeles, CA: $2,113.99

Washington, DC: $2,115.15

Irvine, CA: $1,996.61

Seattle, WA: $1,970.54

Pasadena, CA: $1,970.54

Let’s get you on your way

Let us help you venture into your adult years by finding a mover that can do the heavy lifting for you. Check out our review of the the best interstate moving companies to see which companies we give high praise to, or use our Find-A-Mover tool to find one that meets your needs.

Was this article helpful in helping you choose a college? Let us know in the comments section below!

Methodology

Move.org analyzed the most affordable college towns by looking into US towns that have at least one college and a population of more than 15,000 people.

Of the cities on our list, we broke down each one’s cost of living by three factors:

Living (60%)—Living expenses had the greatest pull in determining how expensive it is to live in each town. To determine this, we averaged the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in a city center, the average cost of utilities (electricity, heating, cooling, water, and garbage), and the minimum wage. In cities where the minimum wage varied, we based it on the wage of a large company (over fifteen employees) that doesn’t offer health care benefits.

Travel (30%)—To calculate how much it would cost to get around the town or to the town, we averaged out the price of a one-way train ticket and a gallon of gas.

Entertainment (10%)—Because nightlife and recreational activities are important factors to consider when moving somewhere—especially for college students—we looked at the cost of both a movie ticket and a domestic beer.

About Julia Campbell

A Washington, DC, native turned West Coast transplant, Julia is a full-time writer and amateur hiker. Experienced in relocating, she knows the tricks of the trade when it comes to all things moving.

Meemaw Rees

This is the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever seen. Let’s take #13 for example, and one I have intimate experience with- Burlington, Vermont. We’ll do the nuts and bolts first. Median rent is $1222.06, with a minimum wage of $10.50. Yes, that’s a decent minimum wage comparatively, but at a 40 hr work week that means you’re pulling $1680 before taxes and before utilities. So before you can even go to the University of Vermont at $31k plus a year, you already can’t afford to buy food… And isn’t this geared toward college kids who with a full time course load often don’t even work full time? I’ve lived/worked in Boston which was on the “Top 10 Most Expensive College Town” list and found nicer apartments for less money than Burlington Vermont, with all the culture of being in a city, and much better paying jobs. I know it’s anecdotal, but I call bullshit on your stats. Not that it matters, but gas has not been under $2.99 a gallon in ages, a beer is NOT $2.54 anywhere, nor has it been under $5-6 for years, and there’s no goddamn train anywhere even in Burlington.